Back at the End of the World
It took me some time to get to Retrograde by Robert Brown. I really enjoyed reading it and was surprised by it. I really enjoyed it.
Book Review: Retrograde by Robert Brown
Rating:
Title & Author: Retrograde by Robert Brown
Genre: Dystopia, Adventure
Release Date: March 19 2014
Series: The Airship Pirate Chronicles
Publisher: Creatspace
Synopsis
The Airship Ophelia lists, burnt and broken, in a tropical sea. Her crew has been scattered across the face of a ruined world, or lost in time, and now it is my job to pick up the pieces. What’s to become of my wife and children, whom I left in the aerial city of Isla Aether? This was one of the last of the free cities, held aloft over a world given back to the beasts. I fear this city will be a target now that the Emperor’s life, and mercy, is at an end. What would become of Kristina if she was taken back to a life of servitude in the walled cities? What would become of the children if they were left wandering alone in wastelands filled with nomadic tribes and prehistoric predators? What is to become of young Lilith Tess, who jumped ship in the 1930’s only to be lost in time? I saw her again, here at the end of days, and she was a queen. What journey did she take that led her to this fate? And perhaps least important of all, what is to become of me and the last of our crew? I stand here on the deck of this ship that has held me through all my misguided attempts to make the world a better place. This ship, and her captain and crew, are beaten. Do I have the strength to pull everything together again? Do I still have the strength to get this ship flying? What other choice do I have?
I gave Retrograde by Robert Brown four out of five stars. I really liked this book, but it was just not the great novel I had expected.
The novel is mostly comprised of the story of what happened when Lilith left the Ophilia with two of the orbs needed for the timetravelling and the knowledge how to do it. The complete story does not move on all that much from where the last novel ended, which to me was a surprise because I was so curious about it.
Captain Robert finally starts to make wise decisions for his family, which has become very important to him over the last novel and this one. Although in his hurry to protect them sometimes does not think much further then one step, which sometimes gets them into tight corners.
We also get introduced to Josh, who I had missed during The Wrath of Fate and was very glad to see what Robert Brown had done with for this novel. Because I would have imagined Josh already to be this kind of character for a novel.
I loved how the author described the scene where the characters of the story join the Circus at the End of the World. It is completely taken from Abney Parks video for the song with the same name, which I already loved.
Because the story itself does not develop much during Retrograde, the characters also do not show much growth. But seeing the some part of the previous novel from a different side is also great and I think it was worth the energy of reading this book.
That is why I give Retrograde by Robert Brown four out of five stars!
Let me know what you thought of this book!
If you have any requests for which book I should talk about next, please let me know in the comments down below.
For now, let books enrich your life!